Biogas Unit for the Home

An Israeli startup has designed a biogas unit, which is small enough for personal use. It is capable of converting organic waste into gas and organic liquid fertilizer. The unit is called HomeBiogas device and looks pretty awesome.

The HomeBiogas unit can produce 5 to 8 liters of fertilizers and sufficient gas for 2-4 hours of cooking per day. What’s more, the unit can also accept and convert dairy and meat, which is generally not recommended to be composted in the home. It can also take in 15 liters per day of animal manure, including pet waste, another substance not recommended for home composting.

This unit is primarily aimed at the suburban homeowners market as well as small home, off-grid, and eco-living enthusiasts. According to the developers 2.2 lbs (1 kg) of food waste can on average yield roughly 7 cubic feet (200 liters) of gas. To put it in perspective, this is enough for cooking on a high flame for one hour. So a daily input of 13.2 lbs (6 kg) of organic waste yields enough gas for meal preparation, while it also allows the household to get rid of a ton of organic waste per year, which offsets about 6 tons of CO2 annually, which would have been generated otherwise.

A HomeBiogas unit measures 48”x65”x39.4” (123cm/165cm/100cm) and can easily fit in most backyards or greenhouses. It weighs about 88lbs (44kg) so it can be moved around without much trouble. According to the company, they are easy to operate, and require very little maintenance. Though, to use the biogas the units produce on a normal stove at least one of the burners needs to be converted to accept it.

The company is currently raising funds though a crowdfunding campaign, so that they can begin full scale production. Backers can get a unit for a pledge of $890, while the full retail price will be $1500.